where is the safe check-in in beirut?
where is the lebanese flag on facebook?
where are the news headlines, and lights on government buildings and honouring and remembering the lebanese victims? or the syrian victims? or the iraqi victims? or the schoolchildren in pakistan, who get killed while in class?
these lives matter too. they too were daughters and sons, mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers. they too had struggles and dreams. they too were killed prematurely. these losses deserve the same outrage and empathy, the same outpour of love and sympathy.
if you gather and protest, march, or pray remember all victims of terrorism – not just the european ones. be aware of media bias, fight against it. educate yourself and educate others. be informed, that is the only way you can offer support.
Blog
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Queen Rania: Let’s Drop The First ‘I’ In ISIS. There’s Nothing Islamic About Them
LONDON — Queen Rania of Jordan said Thursday evening that there is nothing Islamic about the self-proclaimed Islamic State, or ISIS.
I think the West is the only place calling them ISIS; the Middle East and elsewhere calls them Daesh. Here’s the thing: Daesh hate being called Daesh. Daesh wants to be called the Islamic State because Daesh thinks it gives them legitimacy and validity. Plus, Daesh is very insulting to them, so I think we should call Daesh Daesh as a fuck you to Daesh.
What does Daesh mean?
Technically, Daesh is an acronym for their full name in Arabic (al-Dawla al-Islamiya al-Iraq al-Sham), but it also sounds very similar to Arabic words meaning “one who crushes things underfoot” and “one who sows discord” (“daes” and “dahes”, respectively) so that’s why Arabs like to call them that.
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i turned 25 in september but i feel like i’ve been at death’s door for years. every day is a fight against my mental illnesses and i can’t tell whether or not i’m winning anymore. i’m just so alone. i want to go to a party full of friends who won’t demand that i be happy. is the birthday unending a good place for me? i bring an unused bachelor’s degree, a beating heart, an enormous pot of soup, a hundred funny stories and a hundred sad ones.
YOU ARE NOT LOSING. YOU ARE NOT LOST.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
IT IS DIFFICULT, WHEN THE DEMONS ARE NOT AT THE DOOR, BUT ARE INSTEAD ALREADY INSIDE, HOWLING AND SCREAMING AND BEATING THEIR FISTS AGAINST THAT SLIM PROTECTIONS REMAIN. IT CAN BE SO TEMPTING TO BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE TRUTHFUL THINGS, THAT THEY MUST BE RIGHT, ELSE WHY WOULD THEY BE ALLOWED TO HOWL SO LOUDLY, TO INSIST SO MUCH?
BUT THEY ARE LIARS, BIRTHDAY CHILD, AND WHILE WE ARE A BEAUTIFUL LIE, WE ARE NOT: WE WILL TELL YOU TRUE. AND WHAT WE HAVE TO SAY IS THIS:
THE FACT THAT YOU ARE HERE, THAT YOU HAVE MADE IT THIS FAR, MEANS THAT YOU ARE WINNING. EVERY DAY, EVERY HOUR, YOU ARE WINNING. YOU LIVE IN AN AGE OF UNBROKEN VICTORY, FOR YOU ARE STILL HERE, AND WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU. WE DO NOT DEMAND THAT YOU BE HAPPY. WE DO NOT DEMAND THAT YOU BE WHOLE. WE ASK ONLY THAT YOU KEEP FIGHTING–KEEP WINNING–AND STAY WITH US.
STAY.
HERE IS YOUR SEAT AT THE TABLE. HERE IS YOUR CONICAL HAT. HERE IS A VERY COMFORTING LIZARD, TO SIT WITH YOU WHEN YOU CANNOT BEAR THE COMPANY OF HUMANS, AND TO LISTEN TO WHATEVER STORIES YOU WISH TO TELL.
WELCOME TO THE BIRTHDAY. WELCOME TO THE BIRTHDAY. WELCOME TO THE BIRTHDAY UNENDING.
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Creeping ever onwards
I’ve not posted for a little while because progress has been painfully slow. Despite reassurances from our conveyancer, the contracts haven’t been exchanged, although she believes that they’ll be exchanged on Monday*.
Today we did the sad thing, we sold our iMiEV. Well, technically we sold it a few days ago, but the very lovely (and excited) chap came to pick it up today. He’s taking it on a massive trek (well, for a little EV it’s a massive trek – across to Wales, then back to his home…), which is funny, given that it was the first thing we did too.
We’ve also been packing, the front office is nearly completely packed, and after lunch I’m going to head down to the garage to do more packing down there…
…and we’re selling things off, and giving away, and recycling, and so on. And arranging meetings with friends who we’ll not get to see again for a long time.
Mostly it’s switched from excitement to a mixture of terror and the complex practicalities of scheduling, or disposing of things. Our lovely cabinet in the lounge, that needs to go. Our espresso machine? Not suitable for 110 volts… got to be sold. Piles of gunks in the garage – oils, greases, polishes? All got to go.
It’s like one big discount superstore here at the moment.
And it’s hard, because this is stuff we like, or care about, and have collected over our lives together. But it’s all got to go if we’re going to cram both the car, and our stuff, into a 20′ container.
Oh, in other news, Rebecca is done. MOT’d, graced with new brakes, gearbox, back axle and exhaust. She’s roadworthy and running. So I’ll be bringing her home on Monday… Which leaves the Prius to be sold once it’s been cleaned and polished and photographed… Oh, and ideally after the many trips that we’ve got to do to see people, because whilst I adore my Minor, she’s not the most efficient beastie in the world.
In other news, I’ve applied for 2 jobs, and screwed the application for a third (it submitted it when I logged out, despite it not being finished, although I’d still like to get an interview*). I’ve got a third that is in progress, and a fourth that I’m poking at.
But today? Today is going through stuff in the garage. Woo.
* I am not holding my breath.
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A tous mes amis français, mes pensées vont vers vous et je vous souhaites courage et force afin de traverser ces moments difficiles.
In case any of my fellow Americans were unaware this message is an echo of the headline of Le Monde on 9/11: Today we are all Americans.
My parents were traveling in Europe immediately on and after 9/11, and everywhere they went people offered condolences and asked if they’d lost anyone that day. This generosity continued for the entire five weeks of their trip.
So the very least we can do is hold the people of Paris in our thoughts and prayers.
Reblogging for the comment. I thought this was familiar.
Aujourd’hui, tous nous sommes francais.
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All Sikh Temples in Paris have opened their doors to victims of the attack/those seeking safety and shelter and are using twitter hashtag #PorteOuverte, please signal boost this so people are aware
IMPORTANT!
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Reliable sources for updates on the Paris attacks
There are a lot of unreliable rumors/unverified sources spreading on social media right now. These news outlets are trustworthy.
Twitter: The Associated Press & Reuters. Agence France-Presse.
Liveblogs: The Guardian is very good. The BBC is a little slower but is giving simple, easy-to-understand text updates.
TV/video: France 24 live
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